


Perfect waste of a day off

by gilleboll



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Dancing, Domestic Fluff, Fluff without Plot, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-18
Updated: 2019-05-18
Packaged: 2020-03-07 14:14:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18874852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gilleboll/pseuds/gilleboll
Summary: “Care for a dance?” Magnus asked, eyebrows raised.In turn, Alec’s eyebrows drew together. “Magnus, I- can’t really dance,” he said in a tone he hoped sounded apologetic.“I know you’re not exactly ballroom material,” Magnus said. “But I’ll teach you.”“What about dinner?”“Oh please, Alec, don’t tell me you’re trying to weasel out of this.” Magnus grabbed Alec’s half empty glass out of his hand and set it on the counter along with his own glass. He then took a firm hold of Alec’s hands. “You kill demons for a living. You don’t have to be nervous about this.”Magnus tries to help Alec unwind on his day off.





	Perfect waste of a day off

**Author's Note:**

> (set sometime in late s2/early s3 - use your imagination!)

A quiet jazzy tune filled every corner of Magnus’s apartment and Alec, despite feeling barely awake couldn’t help but to absentmindedly tap his foot along to the beat. Even though he wouldn’t say he wasn’t very musically inclined, at least he thought he could keep a decent rhythm. He sat on the way too comfortable couch and watched dust settle in the golden late afternoon sunlight streaming into the room. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Magnus milling around in the kitchen, doing his thing. Alec had planned on sleeping in today, but with everything going on in his life, sleep didn’t come as easily to him anymore and something as small as a shift in the mattress could wake him up. He had gotten up not long after Magnus, which was to say pretty damn early. No matter how much he loved the smell of his boyfriend’s bed sheets, it wasn’t the same when he had the bed to himself. Instead, he had opted for watching as Magnus went through his daily routine and trying his best to not get in the way. Kind of a waste of a day off, but hey. What could he do?

“Alexander?” Magnus called from the doorway, snapping Alec out of… whatever he had just been thinking about. He blinked a few times and turned his head to look at Magnus.

“Yeah?”

“Are you sure you’re alright?” the warlock asked, leaning against the doorframe. “You look like you’re half asleep.” 

With a deep breath and something between a sigh and a groan, Alec stood up. He made his way over to where Magnus stood and placed a hand on the back of his neck. “I’m fine,” he murmured, leaning in to place a quick kiss on Magnus’s lips. To really drive home the point, Alec flashed a small smile as he pulled away. Magnus raised his eyebrows, obviously not buying it, but he didn’t push it. 

“Even if I wasn’t, I don’t see anywhere else I’d rather spend today.”

The corners of Magnus’s mouth quirked upward into a smile. He laid his hand on Alec’s arm, let it slide down toward Alec’s own hand.

“That’s romantic of you,” Magnus said. “Why don’t you go take a shower and I’ll get you something to drink before dinner.” 

“Please,” Alec said as he gave Magnus’s hand a light squeeze. 

 

Alec returned to the living room, running a hand through his damp hair to try and get it to look decent and less tousled. Not that he was the image of neat and tidy, with his shirt still halfway unbuttoned, wrinkly as all hell, and definitely not tucked in, but he’d get there. 

“Awake now?” Magnus asked as he ducked out of the kitchen with two martini glasses in his hands. He handed one of them to Alec before making his way over to one of the well-stocked bookshelves. 

Alec nodded and took a sip of his cocktail.  _ Oh, that’s strong _ . “Definitely. You look busy,” he pointed out. 

“Oh no, not at all,” Magnus replied with a wave of a hand. “I was just... thinking about what to cook.”

“Isn’t it a bit early for dinner?” Alec asked, raising an eyebrow as he watched the other man run his index finger along the spines of his many books. 

Magnus pulled a book from the shelf and artfully turned on his heel to face Alec. “Never too early to start preparing,” he said. “Now. What are you in the mood for?” 

Magnus flicked the cover of the book with a dark-painted fingernail and Alec saw that it was some kind of recipe book. He followed Magnus into the kitchen, wracking his brain for an answer. He wasn’t really  _ in the mood _ for anything. 

“Uhh…” 

When he still had absolutely nothing in mind, he gave up. 

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “You?”

Magnus set the cookbook down on the counter, and even though he was facing away from him, Alec could see the little smile on Magnus’s face. He just knew it was there. 

“Are you saying you’re letting me decide…” Magnus turned just enough to look Alec in the eyes. “...Or are you saying you have me in mind?”

Alec stepped closer. He put his free hand on Magnus’s waist and let it wander over the soft fabric of his shirt before locking him in an embrace from behind. Alec let his chin rest on Magnus’s shoulder. 

“I always have you in mind.” 

He clinked their glasses lightly together. 

“As do I,” Magnus mumbled and turned himself around so that they faced each other. Alec buried his face in the crook of Magnus’s neck and let out a deep sigh he hadn’t even realized he’d been keeping in his body. 

 

They stood like that for some time; silent, half leaning on the counter behind Magnus. The only sounds were the music playing throughout the apartment and the noise from the New York street below the building. Alec felt a sort of calm wash over him. After a little while, he could feel how Magnus started swaying a little back and forth. At first he was worried that something was wrong and lifted his head off of Magnus’s shoulder to make sure things were as they should. Any concerns washed away when they locked eyes. 

“Care for a dance?” Magnus asked, eyebrows raised. 

In turn, Alec’s eyebrows drew together. “Magnus, I- can’t really dance,” he said in a tone he hoped sounded apologetic.

“I know you’re not exactly ballroom material,” Magnus said. “But I’ll teach you.” 

“What about dinner?” 

“Oh please, Alec, don’t tell me you’re trying to weasel out of this.” Magnus grabbed Alec’s half empty glass out of his hand and set it on the counter along with his own glass. He then took a firm hold of Alec’s hands. “You kill demons for a living. You don’t have to be nervous about this.” 

Alec looked down at their hands, Magnus had hooked his fingers under Alec’s — whose knuckles faced the ceiling. He returned his eyes to Magnus’s. 

“Okay,” he said. “Show me.”

Magnus smiled and gave a courteous nod. He straightened his back even though, in Alec’s opinion, he really didn’t have to. The man had good posture.

“Just follow my lead.”

 

“When I step backward with my left foot, you step backward with your right,” Magnus explained. Alec nodded, staring intensely at his and Magnus’s feet to make sure he got it right. They took a couple of slow steps, horribly out of time with the music. Right foot back, shift your weight, right foot forward, shift your weight. There was a sort of push and pull in their hands that made it easier for Alec to keep track of where his feet were supposed to go. He’d expected this to be more difficult. 

“I think I’ve got it,” he said after a few successful steps. 

“See? No need to be nervous,” Magnus said. “Want to try it on time?” 

Alec nodded. “Okay.”

Within the first couple steps, he regretted ever thinking dancing was easy. Almost immediately, he stepped on Magnus’s toes. 

“Sorry! Sorry, sorry.” 

Magnus wrinkled his nose, but he kept the dance going with a valiant smile.

“No, no, that’s fine,” he assured him. “Keep trying. Use your hips.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Magnus gave Alec a look that very much said  _ you tell me _ .

Looking at his feet didn’t help much; Alec kept nearly stepping not just on Magnus’s feet, but his own as well. Somehow, he managed to trip over his left foot. He reflexively put his hands on Magnus’s chest to stop himself from falling, and nearly sent the both of them toppling to the floor. 

“Sorry again,” Alec mumbled, his lips curling into a smirk. They took a couple of stumbling steps before resuming their attempt at dancing. It felt a little easier now, but Alec couldn’t put a finger on exactly why.

“I don’t think you are,” Magnus retorted with a similar grin. “But it’s good to see you smile, Alexander.”

Probably the alcohol getting to his brain. 

“You don’t think I smile enough?” Alec asked, still with that smirk on his face.

Probably getting to shamelessly enjoy Magnus’s company. 

“I could watch you smile all day, every day,” Magnus answered. “I just think you don’t get to let loose enough.” He let go of Alec’s right hand and raised the other one above their heads. 

“Wh-?” Alec made to ask, but he stopped when Magnus gestured for him to twirl. “Really?”

“Last time I checked, I was leading. You follow,” the warlock said, clearly amused by the situation. Alec couldn’t help sharing the feeling, especially when he actually tried to twirl. Him being taller than Magnus really wasn’t doing them any favors, and Alec had to bend his knees quite generously to not accidentally headbutt Magnus’s arm. It had been difficult to keep a smile off of his face a minute ago, now it was impossible.

 

“Next time,” he said, catching Magnus’s hand again after his mediocre-at-best spin. “I think  _ I _ should twirl  _ you _ .”

“Really?” Magnus quipped. “So there’s going to be a next time?”

Alec’s back bumped unceremoniously on one of the counters, where he decided to stop. “If you’re lucky,” he said, slowly running a hand over the front of Magnus’s shirt.

“I already am.” 

“Me too,” Alec said softly. His fingers closed over the fabric and he pulled Magnus closer to kiss him. Magnus’s facial hair scratched against Alec’s chin, but he didn’t mind. He never really minded that. Alec felt fingers hook his belt loops, pulling him even closer. His stomach flipped, and he’d be very surprised if Magnus couldn’t feel his heartbeat. He was incredibly aware of every point where Magnus’s body touched his. There were many of them. He  _ definitely _ didn’t mind. If anything, he wanted more. 

 

Magnus was right; Alec absolutely should let loose more. Especially if it led to more nights of this. Dancing wasn’t so bad after all. 

**Author's Note:**

> hey thanks so much for reading! i've literally never written shadowhunters stuff before so i hope they weren't too ooc. 
> 
> as always, comments and kudos are very appreciated!<3


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